Almost 7,000 disposable vapes have been seized from shops in Glasgow since a ban on their sale came into place.
Four warnings and five fixed penalty notices — of at least £200 — have also been issued, according to figures released by the city council.
The ban on disposable vapes came into force on June 1 this year, preventing them from being stocked or sold in shops.
It has been introduced to prevent the environmental damage disposable vapes can cause and address health concerns. Businesses can face criminal prosecution, with fines of up to £5,000.
Figures also reveal the council’s trading standards team seized over 300,000 illicit cigarettes and nearly 65kg of hand rolling tobacco last year, as well as almost 7,500 non-compliant disposable vapes.
A report by council officials states an estimated 26 million disposable vapes were thrown away in Scotland in 2023, with more than half of them not recycled properly.
“The batteries used within disposable vapes are difficult to recycle, leak harmful waste, and can cause fires in waste facilities,” it adds.
Officials also state many products now available for sale in the city are refillable and rechargeable, and therefore not covered by the ban.
Ahead of the ban being implemented, the council’s trading standards team contacted every Glasgow business registered with the Scottish government for tobacco and vape sales. Since the ban came into force, 6,926 disposable vapes have been seized.
Trading standards also seized 7,469 non-compliant disposable vapes for further examination during the 2024/25 financial year. Vapes and e-cigarettes are required to have tanks to a capacity of no more than 2ml, a nicotine strength of no more than 20mg/ml and labels displaying manufacturer details and health warnings.
Refill containers are restricted to a maximum capacity of 10ml while certain ingredients including colourings, caffeine and taurine are banned.
The council report adds 39 intelligence-led visits resulted in a total of 302,330 illicit cigarettes and 64.6Kg of hand rolling tobacco being seized in 2024/25.
Under Operation CeCe (Scotland), a national strategy between trading standards and HMRC, more than 1.3m illegal cigarettes and 231kg of tobacco have been seized since 2021, the report continues.
“Using figures provided by HMRC, these seizures equate to a prevented loss of revenue of approximately £820,000.”
Trading standards can refer illegal tobacco seizures to HMRC to consider the imposition of sanctions, which can range from £2,500 to £10,000. Glasgow’s team made 16 referrals last year.
Underage volunteers also carry out test purchasing of cigarettes or vapes. In 2024/25, 215 test purchases were attempted, with 28 fines and four warning letters issued.
(Local Democracy Reporting Service)